Microsoft's No-Zune Zone

But there's a lot of other things that will keep the Zune from offering Microsoft the dominance it craves in the digital music market. The battery is not easily replaced, and it has a shorter life than the iPod's, according to several reviews. Other takes on the player, written by people who presumably know a thing or two about technology, reported serious troubles installing its software.

"People wonder whether Microsoft's underdog will overtake Cupertino's [Apple's California headquarters] reigning juggernaut this holiday season. To be honest, we wish it could, since we too are getting kind of sick of seeing the iPod on top," began one review on the influential tech site Engadget.

"The Zune is a player riddled with a lot of small issues -- death by a thousand cuts," the review concluded. "Would we recommend the product for purchase, like, right now? Not a chance."

This is too bad for Microsoft. Years after anyone would have expected it to counter the most successful product in the history of archrival Apple, Microsoft rushed out a slightly undercooked product to hit the holiday season.

But the initial reactions to the Zune are negative enough that they will not only affect the holiday sales, they may also taint the brand for years to come.

However, the Zune also is emblematic of another, bigger problem Microsoft is facing -- its awkward effort to come up with a digital rights management solution that will please movie and music companies while not alienating customers.